The Shri Lord Venkateswara, the Thirumala God Devasthanam which is supposed to be the second richest in the world uses Earthern wares to offer neyvedyam to the Lord even today. Unbelievable but true and there is a legend to this practice.
He did not know any mantras or system of conducting prayers but only to pray by saying “Lord you are everything” One ritual he strictly followed was to fast on every Saturday in a particular month ( between second half of September and first half of October – in Tamil it is Prattasi)) every year.
During that period only, the ruler of that area Thondaiman renovated the temple and named it Ananda Nilayam and arranged for special poojas. He also got a garland made out of gold and offered the same to the Lord.
In one particular year the potter got tied up with heavy work load and was lamenting that he was not able to visit the temple though his fast was never interrupted. He decided that he would bring the god to his door step.
He created a deity of the Shri Lord Venkateswara in mud and since there were no flowers in the vicinity he made them also with mud and put it around the neck of the deity.
Next day when the king visited the temple in the morning, and he was surprised to see mud flowers around the neck of the God. He got perturbed and alerted the temple staff thinking that some one is offering this garland and to prevent it.
However it did not happen and continued for a few days. The ruler felt that he or his administration had committed some lapses went on fast praying to the God to find out the fact. The God appeared in his dreams and briefed the ruler about Bheeman and that the garland though put around the god’s neck at his home appears in the temple too in appreciation of the potter’s devotion.
The ruler immediately met Bheeman and offered him gold coins and other valuables but he refused and suggested that they be distributed amongst the poor people. The ruler then officially recognized the potter’s devotion and since then the offerings to Shri Lord Venkateswara by the temple staff are being given in terracota pots.
